Mendelssohn’s Masterpieces | Popular Classical Music

Songs Without Words, Book V, Op. 62, No. 6 “Spring Song”Felix Mendelssohn

Spring Song (Mendelssohn) – Lieder ohne Worte, Op. 62, No. 6 in A major – Spring Song

Felix Mendelssohn, active in the 19th century, was a composer who, while profoundly influenced by Classical masters such as Bach, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven, is also known as a pioneer of Romanticism.

One of his representative works, “Songs Without Words, Book 5, Op.

62,” includes No.

6, “Spring Song,” a picturesque miniature themed around spring.

The piano’s gentle melody seems to announce the end of winter and express the hopeful arrival of spring, when new life begins to bud.

Its light yet transparent touch evokes flowers swaying in the spring breeze and the chirping of small birds.

This piece, which paints the joy and beauty of spring in sound, is perfect for anyone who wants to savor music while sensing the changing of the seasons.

Songs Without Words, Book I, No. 3, Hunter’s Song, Op. 19Felix Mendelssohn

Mendelssohn / Songs Without Words, Book 1, No. 3 “Hunting Song,” Op. 19 / Performance: Kyoko Nakagawa

This piano piece is marked by a powerful, dynamic melody.

Skillfully depicting a hunting scene, it features a brilliant tone reminiscent of horn calls and a refined, delicate rhythm.

Included in the 1832 publication Songs Without Words, Book I, it continues to be cherished by many pianists today.

The excitement and exhilaration of the hunt portrayed in the music will captivate listeners in an instant.

Fully showcasing Felix Mendelssohn’s rich expressive power, this work is perfect for those who enjoy dazzling, energetic performances or wish to experience the piano’s wide expressive range.

The Lark, Op. 48 No. 4Felix Mendelssohn

Mendelssohn “O Lark”

How gentle is the sound of your song, O lark, lifting me high into joy.

Let me sing with you, beat my wings beyond the clouds, and rise toward the sun; this is a translation of the original poem.

In Japanese: O lark, soaring high and light, what do you sing? You praise heaven’s grace and earth’s glory, you celebrate them in song.

The piece is being sung by the Itabashi Ward Mixed Chorus.

I’m not sure if they’re professional, but they are very skilled.

It’s a splendid canon (a musical round).

It is sung a cappella (without accompaniment).

If you like, try searching for “Lerchengesang Op.

48-4 Felix Mendelssohn” for videos.

There are several, each at a different tempo, and each with its own appeal.

Ave Maria, Motet for 8 voices, Op. 23 No. 2Felix Mendelssohn

Mendelssohn – Ave maria (op. 23 no. 2)

There is an Ave Maria composed in 1820 and another Ave Maria for mixed chorus and organ from 1830.

This is the one composed in 1830, a beautiful piece for eight voices.

The tenor begins by singing “Ave Maria,” followed by ensemble entries.

The middle section is a plea and prayer to Mary.

“Ave Maria” means “Hello, Mary,” or “Hail, Mary.” The structure of the piece is: Ave Maria (Andante) – Sancta Maria (con moto) – Ave Maria (Andante).

The Royal Church Ensemble performs it a cappella in eight parts.

At times, organ accompaniment may be used, or instruments such as clarinet, bassoon, cello, and double bass may be added.

Piano Trio No. 2 in C minor, Op. 66Felix Mendelssohn

Mendelssohn – Piano trio n°2 – Oistrakh / Knushevitsky / Oborin

Like the First Piano Trio, this piece is suffused with melancholy.

It isn’t as well known as the First and is performed less often, but if you listen closely, you’ll find it deeply rewarding.

From the passionate first movement—which begins quietly, then swells like an emotional river and builds in tension—to the finale of the fourth movement, clear and radiant like a spotless sky, it is a work of great depth.

This is a somewhat old recording from 1948.

Please enjoy the performance by the legendary violinist David Oistrakh, with Sviatoslav Knushevitsky on cello and Lev Oborin at the piano.

Oistrakh visited Japan in 1955 and caused a sensation; though it’s a lesser-known novel, Yasushi Inoue’s “The Black Butterfly” was inspired by Oistrakh’s visit.

Duration: 29 minutes.

Severe Variations, Op. 54, U 156, in D minorFelix Mendelssohn

Mendelssohn / Variations sérieuses, Op. 54, U 156 / Performed by: Hitomi Maeyama

This is a solo piano piece composed by Mendelssohn in 1841.

Commissioned by a Viennese publisher, the proceeds from the sheet music were used to fund the erection of a monument to Beethoven.

While belonging to the Romantic era, it retains a classical sense of formal beauty.

As a set of variations, it shows strong influences from Beethoven and Mozart, setting it apart from the dazzling variation works popular at the time by Liszt and Chopin that emphasized virtuosic display.

It is one of the crowning achievements of Mendelssohn’s mature period.

The work consists of a strict, polyphonic theme in D minor followed by 17 variations.

The key remains D minor throughout, except for the 14th variation, which is in D major.

The principal variations feature syncopation and triplets, creating a dramatic character, and the piece concludes with a rapid coda.

The performer is Hitomi Maeyama, a Japanese pianist.

Performance duration: approximately 12 minutes.

Lullaby, Op. 47Felix Mendelssohn

Felix Mendelssohn – Bei der Wiege op. 47 nr 6

A work set to a poem by Karl Klingemann.

Under the title “Bei der Wiege,” translated here as “To Sleep.” Some render “Wiege” as “cradle,” but I have chosen “lullaby.” It is a work from 1841.

Good night! Good night,Dream now of joys and sorrows yet to come,Of the forms of wondrous people;Many will come and go,Yet new ones will appear for you.Be patient and wait in stillness.

Good night! Good night,Dream of spring’s powerThat opens and nurtures flowers;Listen—the chirping of little birds—Love overflows in heaven and on earth!Though this day passes away,Do not worry—be patient and wait in stillness;Spring will still bloom, still shine.

The above is a general rendering of the lyrics.

Soprano: Bożena Harasimowicz (1965, Polish soprano).

Piano: Olga Nieczyperenko.

From a 2009 recital.